Final Mock Draft

Charlie Bernstein

04/27/2011

This has been one of the most difficult drafts to predict as teams can go in several different directions and there's no consensus top pick for the first time in five years. Find out which highly regarded cornerback fell and which five quarterbacks are selected in the first round.

1. Carolina Panthers - Cam Newton, QB, Auburn - The Panthers are a stagnant franchise in a division with three franchise quarterbacks. They need Cam to be Cam on the NFL level to even think about competing for the immediate future.

2. Denver Broncos - Marcel Dareus, DT, Alabama - Denver has made some very questionable decisions over the past 24 months and it's time to begin righting wrongs. Dareus was a dominant player on the college level and should be a solid pro for a long time.

Other possibility- Von Miller

3. Buffalo Bills - Von Miller, OLB, Texas A & M - The best pure pass rusher in this draft should help a Bills defense which tied for 27th in the league in sacks. They choose to wait until next year for their quarterback.

5. Arizona Cardinals - Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri - Arizona needs new blood under center and they are more than delighted Blaine Gabbert falls to them at pick #5. Gabbert will allow the Cardinals fans to have some hope about the future in a division which already features Sam Bradford.

7. San Francisco 49ers - Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU - The best player in the draft falls all the way to pick #7 and San Francisco is the lucky team to match need with great value. San Francisco will have to put their phones on vibrate as Dallas will be calling with the hopes to pick Peterson for themselves.

Other possibility- Blaine Gabbert

8. Tennessee Titans - Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn - Outstanding value for the Titans to get a player at #8 who legitimately could go first overall. Fairley will team up with Tony Brown on the inside as the Titans defensive line will be formidable.

10. Washington Redskins - Jake Locker, QB, Washington - If you think a guy can be a franchise quarterback there's no such thing as a reach. Mike Shanahan likes Locker and Washington now has a quarterback to build around.

Other possibility- Cameron Jordan

11. Houston Texans - Robert Quinn, DE, North Carolina - Quinn will add another pass rusher to what could be an impressive linebacking corps.

16. Jacksonville Jaguars - Aldon Smith, DE, Missouri - The Jaguars fail to pull the trigger on a quarterback but they do get a legitimate pass rusher in Aldon Smith which also fills a major area of need.

17. New England Patriots - J.J. Watt, DE, Wisconsin - New England has been missing a Richard Seymour type of player who can affect a game from the 5-technique. Watt could be that guy and they're more than happy to use their first of two Round One selections on him.

22. Indianapolis Colts - Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin - The Colts haven't had great success in picking offensive tackles early, and we finally saw their passing game take a small step back last season. Carimi is a physical guy with good feet and he'll allow the Colts to play more physical football.

Other possibility- Derek Sherrod

23. Philadelphia Eagles - Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado - The Eagles offense was great last season but their defense is a major concern. Smith will allow they to play more press and hopefully get after opposing quarterbacks more often.

Other possibility- Gabe Carimi

24. New Orleans Saints - Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama - The Saints offense will reach new heights with the best running back in the draft as Drew Brees will have to carry less of an offensive burden.

Other possibility- Akeem Ayers

25. Seattle Seahawks - Christian Ponder, QB, FSU - The Seahawks will finally move on from the Hasselbeck era with Christian Ponder, a quarterback with all the tools if he can stay healthy.

Other possibility- Mike Pouncey

26. Baltimore Ravens - Brandon Harris, CB, Miami - The Ravens secondary wasn't dependable last season as they several of their losses came by opponents driving down the field for winning scores late in games. Harris is a talented corner who should fit in immediately.

27. Atlanta Falcons - Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa - The Falcons need to add youth and talent to their defensive line and they certainly accomplish it with Adrian Clayborn. Clayborn would've likely been a top-15 pick a season ago, but decided to stay in school and it hurt his stock.

Other possibility- Ryan Kerrigan

28. New England Patriots - Brooks Reed, OLB, Arizona - A perfect fit for a Patriots team looking to add more pass rush. Reed is sudden, intelligent and can get off the edge and will make New England more athletic at linebacker.

29. Chicago Bears - Derek Sherrod, OT, Mississippi State - Bears quarterback Jay Cutler took far too much abuse last season and the Bears needed to address their tackle situation. Sherrod should compete for a starting job right away and begin to sure up that line.

30. New York Jets - Justin Houston, OLB/DE, Georgia - The Jets are more bark than bite with their pass rush as they have pressure outages from time to time. Jets linebacker Bart Scott "can't wait" to play alongside and mentor Justin Houston.

Charlie Bernstein is the host of "The Sports Crunch" on the Aquarius 7 Broadcasting Network (national), and Editor-in-Chief of Sports Media Interactive, covering multiple teams in the National Football League, NCAA, and National Basketball Association. Charlie covers the Jacksonville Jaguars for FoxSports and has been featured on the NFL Network and Sirius NFL Radio. Charlie is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America. You can follow Charlie on Twitter @nflcharlie